A variety of ball lock mechanisms are known in the art. Typically, a ball (bearing) is positioned to cooperate with two items in order to prevent relative movement therebetween. For example, a ball lock is formed when a ball bearing is positioned to cooperate with the side walls of two-interfitting coaxial items to prevent axial movement between the items. To permit axial movement, the ball bearing must be disengaged from at least one of the items. In situations where large axial forces are present, a number of ball locks might be distributed about/between the items. Even with multiple ball locks, strong load forces can deform the ball bearings over time. Further, the ball locks must be released simultaneously in order to avoid load imbalances.